Hi

I am slowly beginning to understand how pages are picked up in google. I see that our home page, section pages, and products will be indexed.

In an earlier post, I posted the url:
http://www.cafepress.com/tracytrends/s_machu-picchu

Which was a result of using the search box on my home page. What surprised me was google has indexed this as an actual page. It shows up as a google search result yet it is not a page I can modify.

1) So, if I create searches as a signature or text link, will google index that as a page? This would be good right?

2) Now, when I typed "machu picchu calendar" in google, I was surprised that another cafe shop is listed as a sub-shop beneath mine. It looks like this (I hope this works so you can at least see it and if not, you could go to google, type in my words and look yourself):

Machu Picchu : TracyTrends - 5 visits - 8:02amTemple of the Sun · Large Poster$21.99. Add To Cart · Machu Picchu Classic View at an angle · Machu Picchu Ruins Peru Calendar$29.99 ...
www.cafepress.com/tracytrends/s_machu-picchu - Cached - Similar -

And this was tabbed in a little, as if it was a subpage on my site but it is someone elses site:

Discover Machu Picchu : T-shirts - Posters - Gifts : Machu Picchu ... - 7:58amRemember your Inca Trail experience with Machu Picchu greeting cards. Wall calendar and mugs featuring the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu also available.
www.cafepress.com/machustore - Cached - Similar -


We are listed together on google but 2 different shops.

2) So, as I build my site, will I be tied in with competing sites on google? Will this only happen if there was a search url as in: www.cafepress.com/yoursite/s_searchterm

...this could be good if other people pull me in but really, it is bad because I am being listed with possible competition.


3) What are the problems if I change my original shop name (not the title but the actual name)? I know I saw a post somewhere discussing this issue but I can't locate it.
www.cafepress.com/originalname
to
www.cafepress.com/newname


4) fun non-seo stuff -- how do you get the mini image next to your name in forum posts?


Please use the numbers when you answer so I can clearly know which issue we are solving.

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it,
Tracy Foote

1) I'm guessing a Google Bot followed the link you posted before and thats why it popped up in Google.

2) Both of those shops are under the CP domain name, thats why they're shown that way.

3) If you change the Shop ID, you are basically starting over. The search engines will ahve to reindex you and you lose all your inbound links. I (among others) advise against it.

Thanks for the help & quick reply.

In follow up to #2 then... basically as far as google is concerned, all cafepress is one shop and artists (stores) will be listed (subbed) right next to their competition in google results.

a) are there any techniques to avoid this?

b) are sub-listing such as these only created when a url ends in s_searchterm or will it happen with items and section urls also?
(Interestingly, today I am subbed under her shop where as yesterday, she was subbed under me.)

c) If subbing (listing with other shops) only happens with urls ending in s_searchterm, then for those of you with experience, is it a good or bad idea to create links using the search tool (links to your site: www.cafepress.com/sitename/s_searchterm)?
why or why not?

thanks again for the help... trying to decide what direction to go here before too much gets picked up by google.

Tracy Foote